Trial begins for 3 accused of stealing Ksh75M hidden in couch
By AP, September 16, 2025Three people went on trial in South Africa on Monday after being charged with housebreaking and stealing Ksh75 million ($580,000) in U.S. banknotes hidden in a couch at a game farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The strange case mired Ramaphosa in scandal and almost cost him his job after he was accused of tax evasion, money laundering and breaching foreign currency laws. He was also accused of trying to hide the existence of the money because the alleged theft happened in 2020, but was only revealed two years later.
The case has been dubbed “Farmgate” in South Africa.
Ramaphosa, who campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket, was cleared of wrongdoing and survived a vote in Parliament over whether impeachment charges should be brought against him, but he is still under scrutiny over why such a large amount of money was stashed in a piece of furniture.
Cash in a couch
Ramaphosa has said the money came from the legitimate sale of animals at his Phala Phala game and livestock farm in the northern province of Limpopo, but hasn’t explained why it was stashed in a couch.
The three defendants, two men and a woman who was a cleaner at the farm, are accused of breaking in and stealing the money in February 2020. They pleaded not guilty to the charges on the opening day of the trial on Monday.
The case came to light when the former head of the state security agency walked into a police station in June 2022 and filed a complaint against Ramaphosa. The spy boss, Arthur Fraser, accused Ramaphosa of hiding Ksh518 million ($4 million) in the couch and using his personal police security detail to track down the thieves and bribe them to keep quiet about the money.
Ramaphosa and authorities disputed the amount of $4 million. Fraser claimed to have provided the police with “supporting evidence” in the form of pictures, videos and bank account information linked to the alleged theft.
Fraser’s role in the scandal also became a source of intrigue because he is an ally of former President Jacob Zuma, the man Ramaphosa succeeded as president and his fierce political rival. Zuma was forced to resign as president in 2018 because of corruption allegations and has been critical of Ramaphosa since.